Last week the Royal Commission examined Australia’s largest church. Sydney’s Hillsong Church has the largest children’s ministry and youth ministry in Australia and has churches in 12 countries around the globe. It is famous for its locally produced worship music. Click here to view a performance of the Christian song ‘Oceans (Where feet may fail) at Sydney Entertainment Centre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLqTZ07ja7g&list=RDeLqTZ07ja7g. In the late 1990’s its senior pastor Brian Houston heard that his father and pastor of Sydney Christian Life Centre had molested boys before he had moved to Australia from New Zealand. His father admitted the allegations. Brian Houston as the president of the Assemblies of God churches in Australia defrocked his own father immediately and made sure he never preached again. There was no report made to police. The Royal Commission are expected to make findings in its report as to whether there was any conflict of interest and whether the church ought to have gone straight to police. Hillsong’s fast response to child sex abuse allegations may appear refreshing to some when compared to the Catholics and the Salvos who have already had their turn under the spotlight this year.
Hillsong’s Pastor Brian Houston defrocked his own father
